A Letter from Mr. Robert Iohnston, one of the Elders of Edenborough, directed to Master VVilliam Agard in Cambridge, with a Peti­tion of the English there inclosed, to the Kings most Excellent Majesty.

Also Master Agards Letter to his friend in London, conteyning matters of great moment, tending to the pacification of the miserable distractions of these Present times.

Keepe the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
[portrait]

Printed at London for T. How. 1642.

A Letter From Mr. Robert Iohnston, one of the Elders at Edenborough, directed to Mr. William Agard in Cambridge; with a Pe­tition of the English there inclosed, to the most excellent Majesty of the KING.

SIR,

I Ioy to heare that my good Cousen your wife is already the happy Mo­ther of two Sonnes, for whom as for my selfe I pray daily; desining to have an opportune meeting, that we may rejoyce together in the Lord.

I doubt not of your diligence in do­ing your God service. You are one of those Watch-men upon Ierusalems Walles; Never hold your peace, keepe not silence, give him no rest, untill hee shall establish and make his Sion a praise in the earth.

There is great cause now, for (with great regreet) I [Page 2] feele a fearefull shake given to the halfe happy Act of Pa­cification: Papists and Prelates joyne with men (acted by the spirit of Sathan) to seperate the King from His Parliament in England; and his loyall Subjects (here and there as in Ireland) to the ruine of all: would to God they were all gone that so trouble us. Wee have hope here (and I pray for the like with you) that their wicked rod shall not long rest upon your Lot.

Let it please you to peruse the inclosed Petition, it came to me by a good hand, tends to a right end, from a firme ground, through a middest answerable your furtherance will doe much, but God onely can accomplish the worke which I pray for, and am still

Your loving Cousen, Robert Iohnston.
Edenborough the 12. of Septemb. 1642.

To the most Excellent Maje­sty of the King, and to the most Ho­nourable the Lords and Peeres of this Realm. As also to the honourable the Lords and others, Knights Citizens, Barons and burgesses in the Commons House of Parliament now ASSEMBLED.
The most humble Petition of the Churches of God in England, and of every lively member of the same, whereof the Lord Christ Iesus is the Head.

Sheweth.

THat I am, is the God of Vnity and Order, But his enemy ( Sathan) is the author of division & disorder; as appeares by the first Adams fall, & the second Adams reparation, when to prevent the malice of Abaddon, God united his Diety to humani­ty in the person of his deare son, and him sent to seeke and save, al poor lost sinners beleevers: That in the hypostaticall union, there are 3. distinct Offices, of Prophet, Priest, and King, of all which (in his humanity) the Lord Iesus had possession, yet alleadged that his Kingdome (as then) was not of this world, remayning now and ever since at the right hand of his most holy Father in glory, untill his ene­mies shall be made his footstool. That in 1642 years from the incarnation, the Almighty hath already vindicated the Prophetique and Priests Offices to his Son, against all Turkes, Iewes, Papists, infidels: The Regall Office onely remains undetermined: And the axe is now laid to the root, he that will not take the Lord Iesus Christ for his K. must be brought out and slain.

[Page 6] That your Most Excellent Majesty (the fountaine of pi­ety and justice, and the life of the Law unto us your most humble Petitioners & obedient Subjects) have set to your seale and in acknowledgment of Gods truth, have subscri­bed, Christo auspice Regno. Posui Deum adiutorem meum, and the like.

That your Lordships and Honours have likewise come into the same Government, contending against those Laws and Customes, opposite to the Law establisht by the Lord Iesus, and which Elutherius prescribed to Lucius first Chri­stian King of this Nation, and to both the Doctrine and Discipline setled by the Apostles, when at Antioch the Disciples were first called Christians,

That the recovery of that name Christian will expell the by names, Papists, Protestants, Lutherans, Brownists, Se­ctaries, Roundheads, Prickeare, and what not, disgracefully put upon the Christian Subjects of this Kingdome; Quiet the present distractions and distempers, cleare all fears and jealousies, settle the true Religion, and fundamental Laws of England, Your Majesties Prerogative, the Parliaments priviledge, and the Subjects propriety and peace, will so be all at one, to your generall contentment, and the saving of All in all.

May it therefore please Your most Excellent Majesty and your Parliament to agree speedily upon that one thing necessa­ry, and prevent the malicious intendments of the Common adversary.

For which your petitioners are daily suppliant at the Al­mighties throne, and your laborious servants.

A Letter From one Master Agard to his friend in London.

Sir,

I Have read his Majesties Declarations at large, printed at Cambridge, as also his Majesties vindication, written as I have heard say by a Parliament man, but without his name there­unto printed and published. I have also seene the passages (publisht) betweene the Scots and the Eng­lish answering one another, and agreeing together to a far better end (as I hope) than Sampsons Foxes with their fire brands, for they burnt up onely the standing Corne of the Philistims, who did then Lord it over Israel; these I hope will eradicate all those Fox-like incendiaries, Papists and Prelates, that have wrought their ends upon the con­tinent of Europe hitherto, and now are at worke in Eng­land and Ireland. Blessed be God, the North Country Scot­land, & the parts of England bordering thereupon, are som in calmer condition for the present, Pray God continue it, and let the eternall Majesty be pleased to tell his Ma­jesty (our most Gracious Soveraigne) that the Protestant Religion in England is not yet sufficiently reformed, and [Page 6] that his Majesty may not stand still as the Sun (albeit Io­shuah should command it) much lesse goe backe as in He­zechiahs time; but he must goe forward as a Gyant, fight [...]he good fight, and finish his course in keeping faith, that he may not stagger, but stand fast to his temporall Crown in this life, and so obtaine an eternall Crowne of glory: to which my prayer made in the name and mediation of the Lord Iesus Christ, let the Almighty God, and all his faithfull servants say, Amen.

I have sent you herewith a Copy of a Petition which came from England to Edenborough, and is thence againe returned unto me in a Letter from my Cousen Johnston, the originalls are here inclosed, you may consider how usefull they may prove, and use them as you please. Pray let me heare from you as you can with the first opportuni­ty▪ I will repay it thankfully, and rest

From my house in Lond. 24. Sept. 1642.
Yours to be commanded. William Agard.
FINIS.

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